Latest news with #UEFAChampionsLeague
Morocco World
2 minutes ago
- Business
- Morocco World
Manchester City and Puma Agree Record $1bn Kit Deal
Manchester City have extended their partnership with kit manufacturer Puma in a record-breaking $1bn deal running until 2035. The 10-year agreement, worth $100 million per season, is the most lucrative sponsorship in Premier League history, surpassing Manchester United's $90 million-a-year deal with Adidas signed in 2023. Puma first partnered with City in 2019 and has since been part of the club's most successful era, which includes five league titles, two FA Cups, one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup. 'We joined forces with Puma with the ambition to challenge ourselves and go beyond expectations,' said Ferran Soriano, chief executive of City Football Group. 'We have achieved this and more over the last six seasons. Today's renewal and extension solidifies our relationship and projects it to an even brighter future.' Tags: manchester citypremier leaguePuma
Daily Mirror
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Brit's ISIS TikTok post sparked 'ring of steel' around Champions League football stadiums
A man from Cleethorpes caused an international security alert as he posted about 'easy' football stadium targets and suggesting Champions League games would get 'huge rewards' A man from Cleethorpes has been given a 15 year extended sentence after his TikTok posts sparked fears ISIS had been planning attacks on football stadiums. Mohammed Mahfuz Ahmed prompted a massive international security alert after he suggested stadiums hosting Champions League games were an 'easy target' and the results would be 'huge''. The 26-year-old's threats prompted an 'extraordinary' security response from the Spanish interior ministry for the match in April between Real Madrid and Manchester City. They drafted in more than 3,500 police officers, with four separate rings of security, and snipers posted on the roofs of buildings overlooking the stadium. Ahmed, 26, from North Lincolnshire, was running multiple TikTok accounts, including one in the name Knight_of_Martyrdom urging people to hit the 'easy' targets. He was sharing pro-ISIS propaganda making calls to behead and shoot dead disbelievers. On April 4th last year he posted an image of fans at a football ground with targets on their heads which read: "To the stadiums, launch o muwahhid (faithful) to your new target." It added: "The bleachers (open air stands) and games in stadiums are filled with large numbers of crusaders. The targets are easy to reach, the results are huge, Allah willing and the reward is many times over. This will kill them, bloody their days, ruin their lives and make grief their punishment. The Prophet said 'a kaffir (non-believer) and his killer will never be brought together in hell.'" Ahmed posted a comment with the image which read: "Answer the call" . The image was posted days after an attack at a concert at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow by four men claiming allegiance to Islamic State, who opened fire killing at least 145 people including six children. Another image was posted four days later, on April 8th, by a media channel linked to ISIS in the same black and red colours, featuring a gunman in a balaclava with the message: 'Kill them all." It pictured the Emirates Stadium in London, Parc de Prince in Paris, and Santiago Bernabéu and Metropolitano Arena stadiums in Madrid which were due to host UEFA Champions League football matches the next day. Ahmed was arrested on April 18th at his home address and police seized an iPhone, a Samsung laptop and two USB memory sticks. On his phone was an image of the Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid with a red target circle at the entrance to the stadium where people are entering. The threats made headline news across the world and Katherine Robinson, prosecuting, told Sheffield crown court: "We say that this is a statement of direct encouragement to commit acts of terrorism. "The defendant had an extensive following on TikTok. He also used hashtags which accompany each of his posts. This enables the user to significantly widen the reach of their posts." Ahmed was using the TOR browser to access the dark web which disguised the source of the terrorist material he distributed, the prosecutor said. Ahmed was found guilty of three counts of disseminating terrorist material and one count of encouraging terrorism. The judge, Jeremy Richardson KC, said Ahmed had "utterly revolting scenes of cruelty and savagery relating to a variety of terrorist outrages" on his computer. "By far the most serious of the charges relates to the UEFA football tournament, when you were directly encouraging individuals to indulge in terrorist activity, relating to that major public international event," he added. "You were seeking to recruit others with equally perverted views as yourself to indulge in acts of terrorism as individuals have done in the past elsewhere in the world." Sentencing him to 10 years in jail with five years on extended licence, the judge added: "I have a duty to protect the public. I sincerely hope that this sentence serves as a deterrent to others." The police said a raid on his home revealed a 'deep-seated extremist mindset' and an 'avid determination to share terrorist material online.' Detective Chief Superintendent James Dunkerley the head of Counter-Terrorism Policing North East said: 'Ahmed was persistent and determined in his efforts to reach as many people as possible with his posts, which often included graphic content and glorified acts of terrorism. 'He went to considerable lengths to seek out and share material that could not easily be found on mainstream online platforms, using hashtags to appeal to a wider audience and encourage more followers. "The potential impact of his actions should not be underestimated…Sharing extremist material online is not a victimless crime and may inspire others to act.." Over a five-month period Ahmed gathered more than 1,300 followers and received in excess of 14,000 likes in response to his content. Each time TikTok closed his accounts, Ahmed set up a new one with a slightly varied username, re-posting the same pro-ISIS content and adding new posts. In messages dating back to October 2023, Ahmed shared graphic violent pro-ISIS videos with his wife. In one exchange he told her: "A martyr can take 70 people to heaven with him. The blood of a martyr is more pure than water or anything." Then he added: "Babe, I'm surprised how MI5 haven't come to my house yet. I've heard people getting raided and going to prison for spreading so called Islamic propaganda. I mean it's happened to loads of people. "They take away your passport and everything sometimes, depending on what it is. The only thing that would get me into trouble is with the police for dissemination of so-called terrorist publications." Omran Belhadi, defending, said Ahmed came from a very small Bangladeshi community in Cleethorpes where his opportunity to mix with other Muslims was limited. His middle brother suffered from non-verbal autism and his mother had had a stroke which left her unable to feed and clothe herself, putting "pressure points" on the family, he added.
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Di Gregorio resists Man City and Liverpool opportunities, Juventus make call on Perin
Wednesday's reports claim that Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio has no interest in joining Manchester City this summer, but the Bianconeri could part ways with fellow stopper Mattia Perin after seven years this summer according to Wednesday's reports. Tuttosport claims that Di Gregorio is on Manchester City's shortlist of potential goalkeepers in the event that Ederson decides to leave the Etihad this summer. Advertisement Di Gregorio, who also turned down an approach from Liverpool last summer and also snubbed Nottingham Forest the year prior, is said to only be interested in playing for Juventus and is also keen to commit his long-term future to the Bianconeri. Michele Di Gregorio of Juventus gestures to the fans at the end of the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD6 match between Juventus and Manchester City at Juventus Stadium on December 11, 2024 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by) Potential changes in Juventus goalkeeping department epa11638788 Goalkeeper Mattia Perin reacts during the UEFA Champions League match between RB Leipzig and Juventus in Leipzig, Germany, 02 October 2024. EPA-EFE/FILIP SINGER Though Di Gregorio is unlikely to leave in the immediate future, there could still be some changes to the Bianconeri goalkeeping department this summer. That is because under the new-look Juventus management led by head coach Igor Tudor, GM Damien Comolli and technical director Francois Modesto, Mattia Perin could be allowed to leave after seven years in Turin. Advertisement The Old Lady, meanwhile, are reportedly keen on bringing back Emil Audero to serve as an understudy to Di Gregorio. epa11668690 Parma�s Ange-Yoan Bonny (R) scores against Como�s goalkeeper Emil Audero the opening goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Como 1907 and Parma at Giuseppe Sinigaglia stadium in Como, Italy, 19 October 2024. EPA-EFE/MATTEO BAZZI Audero is out of favour under Cesc Fabregas at Como, and would be a useful addition for the Bianconeri, as he counts as both a homegrown and club-trained player given that he spent 11 years on the club's books from the age of 11 onwards.
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Former Tottenham wonderkid breaks down in tears after being ‘racially abused' in Champions League clash
EX-TOTTENHAM star Aramide Oteh was the victim of sickening racist abuse during a Champions League qualifier, his club have claimed. Welsh football club The New Saints released a statement on social media condemning alleged racist abuse against Oteh by a member of the home crowd during their game against KF Shkëndija. 1 The New Saints star Aramide Oteh was left in tears after alleged racist abuse Credit: Alamy The club's coach, Craig Harrison, also claimed the 26-year-old striker was left in tears at the abuse. The North Macedonia-based outfit beat The New Saints 2-1 after extra time to secure a 2-1 aggregate victory in the first qualifying round of the Champions League. However, The New Saints have released a damning statement against a fan placed in the home end of the 3,000-strong crowd at the Tetovo City Stadium. The statement read: "The New Saints FC strongly and unequivocally condemn the racist abuse directed at Aramide Oteh by a member of the home crowd following the conclusion of tonight's UEFA Champions League first qualifying round match against KF Shkëndija. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL "There is absolutely no place for racism - either in football or in society. "Everyone at the club is offering their full support to Aramide and stand firmly by him." "The New Saints are proud to support UEFA's #NoToRacism campaign and remain committed to promoting equality, respect, and inclusion both on and off the pitch." SunSport have contacted Uefa and Shkëndija for comment on the matter. Most read in Football Speaking after the game, Harrison added: "He is in tears - that doesn't happen for no reason. It's clearly what's been said and done. Obviously that's unacceptable. We will be reporting that. Crystal Palace legend Geoff Thomas slams Uefa for denying them a Europa League place "For a fan to speak to anybody like that is an absolute disgrace and let's hope the culprit gets a fair punishment and is dealt with." Oteh, originally from Lee in South London, came on as a late substitute in the clash. Having come through the academy at Tottenham, whom he joined aged eight, he eventually left the club at the age of 18. From there, he joined Queens Park Rangers, going on to make 17 first-team appearances and scoring once. He went on to loan to Walsall, Bradford, Stevenage and Oteh left QPR permanently in 2021 to join Salford on a short-term deal. Crawley were next, with Oteh scoring his first goal for the club in their first-ever win over Harrogate. In 2023, he then returned to Walsall before winding up at TNS a year later. Defeat for the Saints means they have dropped into the qualifiers for the Conference League, where they will face Luxembourg's Differdange.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Former Tottenham wonderkid breaks down in tears after being ‘racially abused' in Champions League clash
TNS head coach slammed the abuse as "an absolute disgrace" Racism storm Former Tottenham wonderkid breaks down in tears after being 'racially abused' in Champions League clash Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EX-TOTTENHAM star Aramide Oteh was the victim of sickening racist abuse during a Champions League qualifier, his club have claimed. Welsh football club The New Saints released a statement on social media condemning alleged racist abuse against Oteh by a member of the home crowd during their game against KF Shkëndija. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 The New Saints star Aramide Oteh was left in tears after alleged racist abuse Credit: Alamy The club's coach, Craig Harrison, also claimed the 26-year-old striker was left in tears at the abuse. The North Macedonia-based outfit beat The New Saints 2-1 after extra time to secure a 2-1 aggregate victory in the first qualifying round of the Champions League. However, The New Saints have released a damning statement against a fan placed in the home end of the 3,000-strong crowd at the Tetovo City Stadium. The statement read: "The New Saints FC strongly and unequivocally condemn the racist abuse directed at Aramide Oteh by a member of the home crowd following the conclusion of tonight's UEFA Champions League first qualifying round match against KF Shkëndija. "There is absolutely no place for racism - either in football or in society. "Everyone at the club is offering their full support to Aramide and stand firmly by him." "The New Saints are proud to support UEFA's #NoToRacism campaign and remain committed to promoting equality, respect, and inclusion both on and off the pitch." SunSport have contacted Uefa and Shkëndija for comment on the matter. Speaking after the game, Harrison added: "He is in tears - that doesn't happen for no reason. It's clearly what's been said and done. Obviously that's unacceptable. We will be reporting that. Crystal Palace legend Geoff Thomas slams Uefa for denying them a Europa League place "For a fan to speak to anybody like that is an absolute disgrace and let's hope the culprit gets a fair punishment and is dealt with." Oteh, originally from Lee in South London, came on as a late substitute in the clash. Having come through the academy at Tottenham, whom he joined aged eight, he eventually left the club at the age of 18. From there, he joined Queens Park Rangers, going on to make 17 first-team appearances and scoring once. He went on to loan to Walsall, Bradford, Stevenage and Colchester between 2019 and 2021. Oteh left QPR permanently in 2021 to join Salford on a short-term deal. Crawley were next, with Oteh scoring his first goal for the club in their first-ever win over Harrogate. In 2023, he then returned to Walsall before winding up at TNS a year later. Defeat for the Saints means they have dropped into the qualifiers for the Conference League, where they will face Luxembourg's Differdange.
